Regional Procurement Manager

Role Overview

This position sits within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s regional procurement hub for Africa, acting as the go-to commercial specialist for posts across the continent. Day to day, you will lead end-to-end procurement projects worth over £25,000, from market analysis and sourcing strategy through to tender management and contract implementation, while also advising local teams on best practice and compliance. Your work directly supports the FCDO’s global mission by ensuring that goods and services—ranging from security equipment to logistics—are acquired efficiently, ethically, and at the best possible value for the taxpayer.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and deliver high-value regional procurement projects (contract value exceeding £25,000), ensuring full adherence to FCDO policies, procurement regulations, and governance frameworks from initial requirement gathering through contract award and handover.
• Proactively engage with posts and regional stakeholders to forecast needs, identify opportunities for aggregation or standardisation, and develop category strategies that drive cost savings and operational efficiencies across the Africa network.
• Conduct market research, supplier identification, and commercial risk assessments; develop sourcing strategies and manage competitive tender processes using eSourcing tools (e.g., Jaggaer) to achieve value-for-money outcomes.
• Provide expert commercial advice to posts undertaking their own procurement activities above £25,000, challenging assumptions where needed and guiding them through the procurement lifecycle—from specification writing to contract management and supplier performance monitoring.
• Monitor procurement performance and compliance across the region by tracking KPIs, SLAs, and Strategic Procurement Plans; perform quarterly self-audits and ensure accurate record-keeping in contract management systems and procurement platforms.
• Prepare and present regular management information and performance reports for the Head of Procurement Hub, covering pipeline activity, spend analysis, savings realisation, compliance metrics, and data integrity within Jaggaer.
• Support the smooth operation of the regional hub by coordinating day-to-day procurement requests, maintaining contract databases, and ensuring procurement requests are processed consistently and in line with governance requirements.
• Share procurement knowledge and promote capability development across the network, helping to embed consistent commercial standards and best practice at posts throughout the Africa region.

Requirements & Qualifications

• At least six years of overall procurement experience, with a minimum of four years in strategic sourcing roles across multiple industries.
• Proven contract management experience, including the ability to oversee supplier performance and manage contractual relationships.
• A degree or professional qualification in procurement, business, supply chain management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously under pressure, managing multiple high-value projects with minimal supervision.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and the broader Office 365 suite (essential).
• Experience working in a multinational, multi-time-zone environment, with strong cross-cultural communication skills (desirable).
• Active membership of CIPS (or equivalent) and working towards MCIPS or higher (desirable).
• Project management experience and familiarity with eSourcing platforms or tools (e.g., Jaggaer) are a plus.